You can do it but remember that this is an extremely small business. I hired a kid that did that and he didn't realize that I found out about it. I explained to him that you should never burn your bridges because you can be judged by that behavior.

Yeah I guess I would. I was put on a plan. I think they thought layoffs were coming, so they didn't bother me for a bit. Suddenly I was doing good work again and getting compliments on my work. When they realized there wouldn't be layoffs, all of a sudden people were put on plans. I'm currently on a PIP, so that's part of the reason I'd like to just leave once I find something. I don't totally trust them.

At an agency I was at, the boss had a strict 'no two weeks' policy. His line of thinking was that if you've decided to put your two weeks in, you've already checked out mentally and weren't really 'part of the team' anymore. He'd cut people on the spot if they gave two weeks. Just be prepared for that to happen if you do. If you'd be counting on those last two weeks of pay afterward, might be best not to do it.

I've had a feeling they would be looking to get rid of me soon, so I've been putting away money. Managed to save about 2 months worth, just to be safe. I've heard horror stories from my friends in finance.

Also if you think that's the case, then you should absolutely bring in a spare external drive one day and move some files. If things go south, or if they do what my boss does, you can just grab your things and go. No worries about having an awkward talk about getting some projects you've worked on, which they may deny you.

It's difficult to construct a scenario where this ends up being the better decision than giving two weeks. Your job here is to leave a good impression with your superiors and peers. Once you move to the next job, you may need them as a reference.

I can't see a world in which they'd provide a positive review, regardless. They've made it very clear that they don't like me and can't wait to get rid of me. I had a sr. copywriter that was my mentor for a while. We had a very positive relationship and I would most likely use her as a reference.

I'm probably being petty and at the end of the day, I'd most likely never go through with it but... it just infuriates me that they can play mental games and they singlehandedly ruined my entire summer by morally crushing me. I'd just like that one last glimmer to "tell em where to stick it." I can totally see your point, though.

I just feel like my 4 years here should speak enough volumes. If I was a crap employee I wouldn't have lasted 4 years, let alone have been promoted. I explained that to HR and they said "well, we're changing as a company." To me that's BS.

Do agencies really check references? I've only had it happen once at a boutique agency.

Every agency I've ever worked for checks references. For serious candidates, I look to see if we have a shared LinkedIn connection and will often probe them irrespective of whether they were listed as a reference.

Honestly, nobody would ever view an "F this place, I'm OUTTA here!" as a sign that things needed to change.

Moreover, we've all had to deal with unexpected team member illnesses so it's unlikely you'd actually cripple anything short of committing crimes on your way out.

Nobody will remember the act after 7 days, at least until they're ever asked about you and that was their last impression of you.

I would advise just doing the right thing. Living well will be your greatest revenge.